His career has spanned stints in Switzerland, Sharrow Bay Hotel, Ullswater, The Connaught in Mayfair, London and Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons.

At the age of 29 he opened his eponymous restaurant in Longridge, Preston. Within two years he had been awarded his first Michelin and Egon Ronay stars along with The Good Food Guide’s ‘Restaurant of the Year’. Within a week of the restaurant’s second anniversary, he was nominated ‘Newcomer of the Year’ in the Catey Awards. In the same year Charles Heidsieck Champagne Guide voted Paul Heathcotes as ‘one of the best restaurants in the world’.

The 1994 Egon Ronay Guide awarded Paul ‘Chef of the Year’ and Michelin gave him a second star, an accolade bestowed on eight restaurants in the UK, Heathcotes still being the only one in the North West and a second Catey Award in 1997 for Independent Restaurateur of the Year.

Paul has 2 restaurants: his original Olive Press Preston serving Italian grills, pizza & pasta, and Heathcotes Brasserie cooking French & British cuisine.

Paul has been awarded three Honorary Fellowships from Liverpool John Moores University, Lancashire University & his home town Bolton University in recognition of his achievements in catering.

Paul has published two cookbooks, Rhubarb & Blackpudding and Heathcotes at Home, writes columns to a number of regional newspapers and magazines and also appears regularly on TV.

Paul chairs the North’s Academy of Culinary Arts, Adopt-a-School, encouraging the traditions of his profession and is also a fundraiser for Childline & the NSPCC, Fashion Kicks and Youth Zone.

In 2009 he was awarded an MBE for his contribution to the Hospitality Industry. In 2013 he launched Heathcote & Co, a new events and outside catering company that has so far catered for, amongst others, the prestigious Manchester International Festival and is the official caterer of Bolton Wanderers FC and Bolton Whites Hotel.

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Cream Egg Martini Cocktail

General Manager and cocktail expert Stuart Wilkinson created this wonderful indulgent cocktail which proved popular with diners over the Easter weekend, with great feedback from all who tried it. Here’s how you make it. What you need 25ml Baileys Irish Cream...

Head chef Carl on our new menu

We sat down with head chef Carl Noller to ask him about the new Olive Press menu. You can view the new menu by clicking here. So what’s changed on the menu, chef? We’ve added some great new dishes, changed around some others and kept some of the favourites –...

Welcome to the New Look Olive Press

The Olive Press is re-open with a brand new look menu. We’ve kept our trademark relaxed ambience, but freshened up the restaurant to form a brighter dining space. We’ve added banquette seating along the east well, with three circular banquette seating...